Sort by any column. Employment is the number of personal care aides OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
Personal Care Aide Salary by State (2026)
Personal Care Aides earn the most in Washington at $47,730 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $21,840 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $35,800. All 54 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $47,730
- National median
- $35,800
- Lowest median
- $21,840
- States reporting
- 54
Washington
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Puerto Rico
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Personal Care Aides
- 1. Washington$47,730 median · $44,602 adjusted · 103,260 employed
- 2. Oregon$44,410 median · $42,966 adjusted · 42,330 employed
- 3. Rhode Island$43,680 median · $42,706 adjusted · 7,490 employed
- 4. District of Columbia$42,700 median · $38,853 adjusted · 12,810 employed
- 5. Vermont$41,600 median · $42,467 adjusted · 7,700 employed
Lowest-paying states for Personal Care Aides
- 54. Puerto Rico$21,840 median · no price parity · 10,170 employed
- 53. Louisiana$22,520 median · $25,531 adjusted · 45,060 employed
- 52. Mississippi$23,860 median · $27,440 adjusted · 21,800 employed
- 51. Texas$24,230 median · $24,965 adjusted · 329,590 employed
- 50. Guam$26,500 median · no price parity · 100 employed
Personal Care Aide salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $47,730 | $44,620 | $48,630 | 103,260 | $44,602 |
| 2 | Oregon | $44,410 | $39,400 | $48,360 | 42,330 | $42,966 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $43,680 | $38,470 | $45,690 | 7,490 | $42,706 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $42,700 | $40,050 | $43,270 | 12,810 | $38,853 |
| 5 | Vermont | $41,600 | $36,120 | $46,410 | 7,700 | $42,467 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $40,910 | $39,650 | $43,740 | 117,940 | $38,683 |
| 7 | Alaska | $39,740 | $36,640 | $44,340 | 6,530 | $38,824 |
| 8 | New York | $39,620 | $38,660 | $43,780 | 663,140 | $36,712 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $39,440 | $37,110 | $45,800 | 7,730 | $44,335 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $38,990 | $35,510 | $44,240 | 49,510 | $37,632 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $38,760 | $36,190 | $45,270 | 9,440 | $37,210 |
| 12 | Maine | $38,580 | $36,580 | $43,660 | 18,630 | $39,753 |
| 13 | Colorado | $38,540 | $37,130 | $43,360 | 44,650 | $37,399 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $38,370 | $36,600 | $43,830 | 128,680 | $38,907 |
| 15 | Hawaii | $38,110 | $35,730 | $43,580 | 6,150 | $34,661 |
| 16 | Illinois | $38,060 | $36,810 | $38,700 | 134,100 | $38,076 |
| 17 | Maryland | $38,040 | $35,490 | $43,150 | 46,560 | $36,243 |
| 18 | South Dakota | $37,740 | $36,400 | $43,600 | 4,210 | $42,603 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $37,090 | $34,680 | $44,580 | 117,080 | $34,089 |
| 20 | Montana | $36,630 | $31,100 | $43,120 | 10,400 | $38,703 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $36,440 | $30,950 | $45,450 | 31,260 | $40,417 |
| 22 | Arizona | $36,420 | $33,570 | $38,620 | 74,540 | $36,175 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $36,340 | $30,550 | $38,450 | 82,430 | $38,621 |
| 24 | Nebraska | $36,150 | $34,270 | $38,570 | 13,660 | $40,121 |
| 25 | Iowa | $36,080 | $33,570 | $39,630 | 25,800 | $41,111 |
| 26 | Utah | $35,880 | $33,850 | $38,830 | 17,130 | $36,292 |
| 27 | Indiana | $35,060 | $31,030 | $36,680 | 57,050 | $37,566 |
| 28 | Michigan | $35,000 | $30,560 | $37,040 | 95,020 | $36,376 |
| 29 | Idaho | $34,790 | $29,360 | $37,180 | 20,770 | $36,432 |
| 30 | Ohio | $34,460 | $30,140 | $36,690 | 106,940 | $37,144 |
| 31 | California | $34,320 | $34,320 | $36,550 | 970,150 | $30,997 |
| 32 | Delaware | $34,320 | $31,200 | $37,350 | 11,820 | $34,386 |
| 33 | Florida | $33,800 | $31,540 | $35,880 | 90,170 | $32,684 |
| 34 | Nevada | $33,670 | $29,050 | $34,880 | 17,940 | $33,677 |
| 35 | Wyoming | $33,190 | $30,210 | $37,290 | 3,410 | $35,807 |
| 36 | Missouri | $33,080 | $28,600 | $37,060 | 94,810 | $36,425 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $32,130 | $29,920 | $35,280 | 35,950 | $34,973 |
| 38 | Kansas | $31,260 | $29,240 | $35,250 | 25,350 | $34,707 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $31,240 | $28,400 | $35,520 | 58,880 | $33,119 |
| 40 | Virginia | $30,300 | $28,420 | $35,860 | 70,070 | $29,969 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $30,110 | $27,960 | $33,960 | 40,750 | $32,118 |
| 42 | U.S. Virgin Islands | $29,860 | $28,690 | $31,130 | 110 | N/A |
| 43 | Pennsylvania | $29,420 | $28,390 | $34,430 | 257,370 | $30,152 |
| 44 | Georgia | $29,270 | $27,140 | $34,870 | 50,870 | $30,397 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $28,520 | $26,970 | $30,730 | 38,910 | $30,929 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $28,010 | $23,540 | $29,350 | 18,890 | $31,297 |
| 47 | Alabama | $27,840 | $26,190 | $30,170 | 20,930 | $31,343 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $27,710 | $25,750 | $30,250 | 20,310 | $31,545 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $27,660 | $26,230 | $29,250 | 19,840 | $31,816 |
| 50 | Guam | $26,500 | $22,460 | $31,300 | 100 | N/A |
| 51 | Texas | $24,230 | $22,820 | $27,520 | 329,590 | $24,965 |
| 52 | Mississippi | $23,860 | $23,070 | $27,300 | 21,800 | $27,440 |
| 53 | Louisiana | $22,520 | $20,800 | $27,090 | 45,060 | $25,531 |
| 54 | Puerto Rico | $21,840 | $21,840 | $22,480 | 10,170 | N/A |
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Personal Care Aides, that changes the ranking: Washington leads on raw pay at $47,730, while Washington leads once prices are taken into account at $44,602.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Personal Care Aide pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Personal Care Aides the most?
Washington reports the highest median wage for Personal Care Aides at $47,730 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Oregon ($44,410) and Rhode Island ($43,680).
Which state pays Personal Care Aides the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Personal Care Aides at $21,840 a year, $25,890 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Personal Care Aides earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Washington first at $44,602 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $47,730. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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